In many areas of synthesis, organometallic compounds, especially organomagnesium compounds, have become indispensable reagents. However, the preparation of these useful reagents continues to present problems. These problems are based, to a certain degree, on the insufficient reactivity of the metals used. Attempts to overcome these difficulties are many and varied since the inertness of the metals used not only has an adverse effect on the efficiency and flexibility of the preparation and process, but also gives rise to potential hazards as a result of uncontrollable spontaneous reactions caused by accumulation of reactants. For example, in the preparation of Grignard compounds, use is made of the mechanical activation of Mg turnings (J. Org. Chem. 1991, 56, 698-703), of potassium-reduced Rieke magnesium (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1972, 94, 7178, Organic Syntheses, Wiley N.Y., 1988; Collect. Vol.VI, 845), of atomic vaporization of high-purity magnesium into a solvent (Helv. Chim. Acta 1981, 64, 2606), of magnesium anthracene (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., Engl. 1980, 19, 818 and ibid. 1985, 24, 960) and of ultrasound treatment of commercially available Grignard magnesium (J. Chem. Soc. Rev. 1987, 16, 239 and ibid. 1987, 16, 275).
From the viewpoints of safety, efficiency and ability of scale up, none of the above mentioned laboratory processes has a real chance of moving across into industrial synthesis. It would be extremely beneficial if a process of producing organometallic compounds, especially organomagnesium compounds, was developed that could be used in industrial synthesis.